Wasps have taken over the birdfeeder. They don't appear to be building a nest there - the nest seems to be inbetween my apartment and another. Too far for me to fling soapy water. Tried holding up incense to smoke them out, but the wind is blowing everywhich way, and even when the smoke does get over there, it doesn't hit the side where most of the wasps are.

I can spray them without opening the screen door, but unfortunately the only side that's reachable won't let me get anything inside the feeder. So I think tonight I'll have to try dousing it with soapy water after lifting the lid up.

If I could just get them out of the birdfeeder, I could knock it down and then empty it out.

So tempted to try throwing soapy water at them right now, but it's still the middle of the day and they are very, very active. Plus I don't want to get soap water all over our downstairs neighbor's plants (especially if they can see me do it._________________::crisis mode::

So now the plan is to try to smoke them out tonight, cut the birdfeeder down into a paper bag that is inside a plastic bag, tie that off and then throw the birdfeeder out. I will also put a lot of diatomaceous earth in there for good measure.

If all goes well, we'll be making a new birdfeeder and putting it up tomorrow. I just wish I had a body suit and a censer._________________::crisis mode::

So now the plan is to try to smoke them out tonight, cut the birdfeeder down into a paper bag that is inside a plastic bag, tie that off and then throw the birdfeeder out. I will also put a lot of diatomaceous earth in there for good measure.

If all goes well, we'll be making a new birdfeeder and putting it up tomorrow. I just wish I had a body suit and a censer.

Whoa, I had no idea you could use DE like that. I've always only associated it with pool filtration._________________...if a single leaf holds the eye, it will be as if the remaining leaves were not there.http://about.me/omardrake

Oh yes indeedy you can! There are at least two grades - food grade, and then the other stuff. Food grade you can mix in with flours, which helps prevent india moths and other bugs from sprouting up in them and ruining all your food. It is supposed to be helpful for getting rid of intestinal worms as well, but I don't know if all of that is pseudo science or just most of it. It's not safe to breathe much of either.

You can use it for a little extra protection from bugs by putting some on the top of cabinets and counters, and trying to make a perimeter where you think insects walk. The bad thing is they have to walk over it, and that's not always possible. It basically works by giving them a million papercuts, so that they dry out and die. So if wasps are captive in a big bag and that stuff is floating around, it should help take care of them.

I haven't had to use any for food cupboards in a long time because I applied gentrol to the cabinets (an insect growth inhibitor that prevents insects from maturing any more than they already are), so I've got plenty left over to pop in a bag for my little wasp friends.

Edit: The birdfeeder is now in a bag because my roommate is a superhero with wasp calming abilities. We are leaving the bird feeder in a bag on the porch for now, and hopefully none of the wasps chew their way out.

Edit edit: I hope they can't chew or sting their way out of the plastic bag. And while they don't have water, they are locked in with a nice little food supply. Will be worried over this for awhile now. Thank goodness most wasps except the queen die out in the colder weather._________________::crisis mode::

The force of getting vacuumed up tends to stun/kill wasps. So if you have to deal with them: Turn on vacuum cleaner, put hose near mouth of bag, open bag. SUCTION OF DOOM._________________"No, but evil is still being --Is having reason-- Being reasonable! Mousie understands? Is always being reason. Is punishing world for not being... Like in head. Is always reason. World should be different, is reason."
-Ed, from Digger

We do have one, but I´d be nervous about doing that, because I have read they can come back out of the hose.

I may try to get the thing put into a duffle bag later. At the very least, I´ll knock it over so when we are able to open the bag, even if they are inside, we can drown the thing with water and clean out the food and the nest they are probably forming._________________::crisis mode::

We do have one, but I´d be nervous about doing that, because I have read they can come back out of the hose.

I may try to get the thing put into a duffle bag later. At the very least, I´ll knock it over so when we are able to open the bag, even if they are inside, we can drown the thing with water and clean out the food and the nest they are probably forming.

Fair enough. Good luck._________________"No, but evil is still being --Is having reason-- Being reasonable! Mousie understands? Is always being reason. Is punishing world for not being... Like in head. Is always reason. World should be different, is reason."
-Ed, from Digger

Oh yes indeedy you can! There are at least two grades - food grade, and then the other stuff. Food grade you can mix in with flours, which helps prevent india moths and other bugs from sprouting up in them and ruining all your food.

I haven't had to use any for food cupboards in a long time because I applied gentrol to the cabinets (an insect growth inhibitor that prevents insects from maturing any more than they already are), so I've got plenty left over to pop in a bag for my little wasp friends.

oooo! where do you get these things? i have a terrible problem with flour moths (they may be india moths really, i just call them that because they keep infesting the flour)(but they also get into rice and couscous and i think there are some in the buckwheat cereal and they even got into the dukkah and i really want them all to die)._________________aka: neverscared!
a flux of vibrant matter

She has three kids, dozens of problems related to housing, car, job, and current & former relationships. She gets too much child support to get public help, too little money in total to get by, and not enough savings to get a new place to live. There's no family around to help, nor friends beyond me. I already have a pile of my problems so about all I can do is assist with apartment hunting.

I can't say it's a bad idea, and don't know if that makes me a bad friend or not.

She has three kids, dozens of problems related to housing, car, job, and current & former relationships. She gets too much child support to get public help, too little money in total to get by, and not enough savings to get a new place to live. There's no family around to help, nor friends beyond me. I already have a pile of my problems so about all I can do is assist with apartment hunting.

I can't say it's a bad idea, and don't know if that makes me a bad friend or not.

It makes you sound depressed, certainly. Non-depressed people can tell when problems are generally temporary and correctable and not best solved by suicide. Have you spoken to anyone about this? You don't have to be in an acute crisis yourself to call the local crisis line, and they can hook you (and your friend) up with resources.

Edit:
I'm sorry I don't remember where you live beyond "New England-ish," (Maine?) but there are crisis lines pretty much everywhere. A friend of mine staffs a local one for a few hours every other week or so. She's not a professional counselor, but all the staffers get a bit of training, and they have a whole bunch of numbers for resources, including ones for people with different kinds of issues, jobs, housing, medical, all sorts of things. They are happy to just talk, just listen, be supportive, and point the way to help if asked. They can't fix your job, your relationship, or your health over the phone, but they can probably hook you up with people who can do more.

Might be worth a call._________________The reward for a good life is a good life.

Ok, there is a hotel in western MD that was a quiet, quaint little place located in a state park. It was affiliated with a major hotel chain, I can't remember which, but not directly labelled as such.

My wife (gf at the time) and I would go there once every 3 months or so to relax for the weekend, sit on the beach, take a hike, swim in a pool, and lounge in the hot tub, and look at the birds in the aviary rehabilitation area. Food was always pretty meh, but that wasn't why we were there.

It was about $70 a night for all this.

They got bought by a casino, which isn't a surprise really. They were never packed and I'm sure were losing money.

Last time we stayed there, for my birthday in January, we had an awful experience. The room had flies and mites in it. The pool was closed for construction of the casino area, the massage parlor double booked us over someone else, the food experience was awful, about 45 minutes between each course/ sight of the waiter, etc. We, I feel, reasonably complained to the management and received the gag gift of a free night stay.

We tried to use it this weekend. We booked a stay, drove two hours to get there, ended up hitting smooth traffic and got there an hour early. We sat on the beach. The trashy beach with wrappers floating in the water and trash strewn through out the sand. It was busy, people are slobs. It happens.

We go inside to get our room. There is a line out the door, 45 minutes we stood in line. We looked around the lobby, the scenic fountain was replaced by a corvette for auction. The art on the wall was replaced by gold and glitter, the lounge was replaced by slots.

45 minutes to be told that our complimentary night was not valid any more. Not with out the original letter from the manager. We argued with the people for 15 minutes about how ridiculous that was. they offered us $100 off the room, so we'd only have to pay $70. $70, the going rate less than a year ago, was the $100 off price now. It took 4 people to get together to offer us that price.

So, a waste of 2 hours drive. We decided to at least hike the trail before driving home. The aviary was now a parking lot for 18 wheelers and dumpsters for construction. The nature trail had fallen into decay and over growth. The water was scummy. It was awful.

We drove home defeated by the man. Another memory lost to corporate greed.